SEATTLE – The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) is seeking to charter longline vessels to conduct a fecundity study starting as early as August 2026 in IPHC Charter Regions: Ommaney, Gore Point, and Unalaska.

 

The primary purpose of the study is to collect fecundity samples from female Pacific halibut greater than 90 centimeters prior to spawning.

 

Vessels need not be licensed for Pacific halibut fishing in Canada or the USA to be eligible. The IPHC is not restricted as to the nationality of the vessels it charters for operation in any region provided customs and immigration regulations are followed. Fish caught and retained for sale during this study in SE Alaska may be sold in Canada.

 

One to two IPHC Secretariat staff will be deployed aboard the vessel along with two motion compensated platform scales, one larger scale with a cradle and a second smaller scale to weigh whole ovaries. Biological sampling will include the collection of length, weight, genetic samples (fin clips), age data (otoliths), whole ovary and liver weights, an ovary samples for fecundity. Sublegal fish will not be retained. 

 

Both snap gear & fixed gear longline vessels are encouraged to bid on this study.

 

Vessels are encouraged to submit bids based on a study in each charter region comprising of 300 total skates.

 

Interested vessel owners are invited to submit tenders based upon the 2026 Fecundity Study Tender Specifications. The Tender Specifications and Vessel Tender Forms for this project may be accessed directly from the IPHC website: Vessel Recruiting | IPHC.

 

Initial review of bid submissions will take place on 27 July 2026 and the request for tender will remain open until filled. In order to be considered in the initial review, submissions must be completed no later than 23:59 (Pacific) on 26 July 2026.

SEATTLE – The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) is calling for bids to supply 90.90 metric tons (200,400 pounds) of chum salmon for the 2027 Fishery-Independent Setline Survey (FISS). Bids on all or a part of this amount are welcome.

 

The FISS is a critical component of the IPHC’s monitoring activities, and securing an adequate bait supply is essential to the successful monitoring and subsequent management of Pacific halibut for both countries.

 

Due to the scientific nature of the FISS, the IPHC requires food-grade chum salmon.

 

Chum salmon requirements:

• Headed and gutted (H&G).
• Individually quick frozen (IQF).
• Minimum grade is semi-bright #2s (ASMI grade A-E).
• 2 to 3 kg (4 to 6 lb) and 3 to 4 kg (6 to 9 lb) preferred (>4 kg (>9 lb) considered)
• Product may be inspected by the IPHC Secretariat prior to purchase to ensure that the fish was flash frozen to ensure firm flesh and has been processed in a manner that maintains the required quality.
• Product must be toted in ~0.544 metric ton (1,200 lb) fiber totes.
• Information on the month of capture, the run for each unit/tote of fish purchased, and tote weight is required (the labeling of totes as ‘IPHC Research’ product before shipment is necessary.
• Must have been caught and processed no earlier than 1 June 2026.

 

The IPHC will consider the quantity, size, quality, price, and preseason storage or supply location when making purchases. To be included in initial purchase negotiations, please complete the information on the second page of this announcement and submit it to the IPHC Secretariat via e-mail: secretariat@iphc.int.

 

This call for bids is open until filled. Bids will be reviewed upon receipt and purchase agreements will be released to the parties by 1 July 2027. If there is a specific deadline needed for purchase agreements to be made sooner, please state that in your offer.

 

Please complete the following table if you would like to be included in purchase negotiations:

SEATTLE –  The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) simultaneously funds several Merit Scholarships to support university, technical college, and other post-secondary education. The scholarships assist the further education of Canadian and U.S.A. students connected to the Pacific halibut fishery and its industry. Generally, a single new scholarship valued at US$4,000 per year is awarded every two years. The scholarships are renewable annually for the normal four-year period of undergraduate education, subject to maintenance of satisfactory academic performance. A selection panel of industry and Commission representatives reviews applications and determines recipients based on academic qualifications, career goals, and relationship to the Pacific halibut industry.

 

The scholarship for 2026 will be available for educational entrance or continuation in the Fall of 2026. Applications must be submitted via the electronic form posted under the IPHC Merit Scholarships tab on the Commission’s website Opportunities page linked here:

https://www.iphc.int/the-commission/opportunities

Deadline for complete applications: 12 June 2026

SEATTLE – In accordance with the 2026 IPHC Fishery Regulations (Section 9), the commercial fishing period for Pacific halibut commences tomorrow, 26 March 2026 at 06:00 local time in all IPHC Regulatory Areas except IPHC Regulatory Area 2A (see below). 

 

The non-tribal commercial fishing periods in IPHC Regulatory Area 2A will be announced by NOAA Fisheries and published in the Federal Register.

 

The IPHC extends its best wishes for safe and successful fishing to all participants.

 

Notice for electronic logbook users in Alaska:

The IPHC is working with electronic logbook providers on ongoing software improvements. Users are advised to connect their tablets to the internet and install updates before departing for fishing activities to ensure they are operating the latest version of the software.

SEATTLE – The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) is seeking to charter longline vessels (fixed gear or snap-gear) to conduct its Fishery-Independent Setline Survey (FISS) in 2026 in IPHC Regulatory Area 4B, specifically in FISS Charter Region Adak, with a planned 73 stations.

 

The primary purpose of the FISS is to collect standardised data for use in the Pacific halibut stock assessment. This information collected is also used to study aspects of the Pacific halibut resource, such as growth, distribution, biomass, age composition, sexual maturity, and relative abundance of other species. Legal-sized Pacific halibut and Pacific halibut less than 32 inches in length that have been sampled, as well as incidentally caught fish (byproduct) that will die upon release, will be retained, sampled for biological data, and sold by the IPHC to offset FISS expenses. 

 

The FISS must be completed between 22 May and 15 September 2026. The IPHC will consider only those vessels with vessel captains and crews that have recent (within five years) Pacific halibut fishing experience. The IPHC may require an inspection of the vessel prior to awarding the charter.

 

Vessels need not be licensed for Pacific halibut fishing in Canada or the USA to be eligible. The IPHC is not restricted as to the nationality of the vessels it charters for operation in any region as long as domestic customs and immigration regulations are followed.

 

Interested vessel owners are invited to submit tenders based upon the 2026 IPHC Fishery-Independent Setline Survey (FISS) Vessel Tender Specifications. These specifications, along with the required Vessel Tender Forms, can be downloaded directly from the IPHC website: Vessel Recruiting | IPHC.

 

The IPHC will not be obligated to accept the tender with the lowest bid or any tender received and will contract according to its best interests.

 

Vessels will be rated using the following criteria:

• seaworthiness and general condition of the vessel and its equipment;
• the vessel’s availability within the schedule determined solely by the IPHC Secretariat;
• the vessel captain’s experience and fishing record;
• the qualifications of the selected crew;
• IPHC operating costs (tender amounts);
• Previous interactions with the IPHC and its Secretariat, experience with the IPHC FISS.

Scheduling flexibility and the ability to take additional Secretariat are other factors to be potentially considered in the decision-making process.

 

Both fixed gear and snap gear vessels are welcome to bid on all IPHC Charter Regions.

 

Initial review of bid submissions will take place on 2 March 2026, and the request for tender will remain open until filled. In order to be considered in the initial review, submissions must be completed no later than 23:59 (Pacific) on 1 March 2026.